Bible Study:
Wisdom 2, 1 and 12 to 22. John 7, 1 to 30.
One issue
that has never ceased the baffle the minds of philosophers and even theologians
for ages and would continue to be the food for thought for all thinking minds
to come is the problem of evil and evil people in the world. If we say God is
all-good, all-knowing and all-powerful, then why do wicked people succeed in
destroying good people? Why does God sometimes allow bad people have their ways?
Think of
all the wickedness we see around in the world today, the fact that innocent
lives are wasted by terrorist groups, the fact that women and children are sold
and used as slaves by people who ought to know better, the fact that some are becoming
extremely rich at the detriment of the poor masses whose share in the commonwealth
are forcefully and trickily taken away. While so many in this country are dying
of hunger on a daily basis, you turn on the news and you hear of billions of
dollars stacked in foreign banks by past leaders. While our roads are in such
deplorable conditions taking away lives on a daily basis, huge sums of money
awarded for road contracts are shared by some elite and used in sending their children
to study overseas.
The question
of wickedness becomes even more baffling when we consider that even those of us
who are devoted Christians, who pride ourselves with enjoying the Divine
protection of God as well as the angels and saints are sometimes not spared
from the brunt of wickedness by the ungodly. So we are almost tempted to wonder
if there is any point serving God. At the height of modern day atheism is the
unresolved question of “where is God when really bad things happen to his
beloved children? If he exists at all, then why does he allow his children
suffer?”
Today’s
readings offer us a solution. When we consider that Jesus himself, being the
son of God despite his complete sinlessness and devotion suffered the most
gruesome death at that time in the hands of wicked men, we are faced with some
far reaching truths. If Jesus suffered from the wickedness of others, then this
world is surely full of wicked people and the good ones will not last long
here. If Jesus suffered despite enjoying the love of God, it means that God
continues to love us even while watching us suffer and he is still there when
bad things happen. If Jesus suffered, he did so for a reason that millions of
people could have the opportunity of being saved and this is to say that all
suffering has a meaning and a purpose. There is no such thing as senseless
suffering. Something good always comes out of pain and sorrow in the long run.
Our first
reading sums it up: “… For their wickedness blinded them, and they did not know
the secret purposes of God nor hope for the wages of holiness, nor discern the
prize for blameless souls.” Dear friends, there is a reward for holiness. We cannot
fully understand the secret purposes of God as to why he allows wickedness
prosper but at least we know that he has a purpose. God alone knows why we
should suffer so if it is his will that we should suffer, let us continue to
look up to him and never give up on goodness and holiness. Let our suffering
not lead us to the blindness of wickedness. People tend to inflict pain on
others based on what they themselves have suffered but this is just blindness. Do
unto others what you like to be done to you.
Let us
Pray:
Lord
Jesus, give me courage to continue trusting you even when I see the wicked succeed.
May I never become an agent of wickedness. Amen.
God bless
you. Good morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you.
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